WATCH: Bishop-elect James Francis Checchio to lead Diocese of Metuchen (2024)

PISCATAWAY – The bells ofSt. Augustine of Canterbury Roman Catholic Church and Schoolin the KendallPark section of South Brunswick rang out with "great joy" Tuesday morning. Celebrating the appointment of Msgr. James Francis Checchio as the new bishop for the Diocese of Metuchen and the years of service by Bishop Paul Bootkoski, the bells ringfor 15 minutes.

They could be heard for several miles, said the Rev. Robert G. Lyman, the church's pastor.

"We rang them early, from 7:55to 8:10 a.m. and again before Mass at 9 a.m.," Lynam said. "To honor the 14 years withBishop Bootkoski and a new year forBishop-elect.I wanted the children coming to school to hear the bells and know that something special was happening — that this was a day of joy."

An air of excitement filled the auditoriumat the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center Tuesday morning as Checchiowasintroduced and welcomed back home to New Jersey. The 49-year-oldpriest, who has spent the last 12 years in Rome,wasnamed the new bishop for the Diocese at noon at the Vatican by Pope Francis, whoaccepted the resignation of Bootkoski. Bootkoskisubmitted his resignation last year after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.

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Checchio will be the fifth leader of the 35-year-old Roman Catholic diocese, which serves Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset and Warren counties. The son of James and Helen Checchio, Checchio is theninth youngest bishop-electin the U.S. He will be ordained as bishopandinstalled formally on May 3.

In the diocese, Checchiofollows the the footsteps of Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick, Bishop Edward Thomas Hughes, Bishop Vincent DePaul Breen andBootkoski. Bootkoski, 75, sent his mandatory retirement letter in last fall, and diocesan officials have been waiting since then on when it might be accepted and acted upon by the Vatican.

Called while on vacation

While he requested to come "back home" to parish life after his 10-year tenure asrector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome was over,Checchio did not expect to receive another callingso quickly.

Scheduled to be on sabbatical until the end of July, this latest calling came in the form of a cell phone voicemail last Mondayfrom the Archbishop Vigano, the Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S. In rural Minnesota with lay and priest friends, the group planned to go ice fishing. With poor cell phone reception sending all of his calls to voicemail, Checchio called the Archbishop back.

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Admittedly surprised, Checchio was humbled by the Archbishop's news.

"I had hoped during my sabbatical to spend time with some family and friends, go on retreat, then do some writing on seminary formation, and finally study Spanish in preparation for becoming a pastor in my home diocese of Camden," he said. "Those plans have changed. The Archbishop, aware from past dicussions that I desired to return home from Rome to serve in my diocese and be nearer to my family, after some friendly discussion, said to me 'Monsignor, it's good you did come home from Rome, for I'm happy to tell you that Pope Francis is appointing you as the bishop of Metuchen."

Checchio said he knelt down and prayed, then got up and went ice fishing.

"I pray that I will be more successful as a bishop than I was at ice fishing," he said. "It never occurred to me that I would be asked to be pastor of a parish this big. I'm grateful for the Holy Father's confidence that I will be able to shepherd this vibrant Church of over 640,000 souls, and I very much look forward to working with and supporting the good pastors, priests, deacons, religious and lay ministers who are already laboring so well in this vineyard."

Checchio added that he is pleased at the timing of the appointment as it falls during the "great Jubileeof Mercy."Inspired by the example of leadership given byPope Francis. Checchiowelcomes the challenges ofhis new post, the first being the size and scope of the diocese itself.

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"It is more than 640,000 people. It is a huge diocese," he said. "I know there is tons of help and it is not all on my shoulders. That is the biggest effort initially, just to see who it is that I am called to love."

Checchio quipped that hissecond challenge will be to figure out what sports teams to root for.

"What are the sportsteams up here?," said the former chaplain for the Philadelphia Eagles. "I have to figure out what the choices are up here. I have a soft spot for the Giants because I married the defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo10 years ago in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome."

A native New Jerseyan

Born in Camden and raised in Collingswood, Checchioattended St. John School in his hometown of Collingswood and Pope Paul VI High School in Haddon Township.

Checchio was ordained a priest at theCathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden in Junein 1992 and is analumnusof thePontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinasin Rome, where he earned a doctorate in canon law in 1998.Checchio is already familiar with the bishops of New Jersey and was present at Bootkoski's ordination in 2002.After completing his studies, Checchio returned to the Diocese of Camden, where he served as secretary to BishopJames T. McHugh, as well as vice chancellor of the diocese, director of communications, moderator of the diocesan curia, and episcopal vicar for administration of the diocese.He also served in thediocesan tribunal.He served as administrator of Holy Spirit Parish inAtlantic City,parochial vicarat St. Agnes Parish inBlackwood, and summer parochial vicar at St. Peter Parish inMerchantvilleand St. Peter Celestine Parish inCherry Hill.

READ:Metuchen Bishop talks about Pope Francis' visit

Pleased that one of their own sons is coming back to serve in the state, Bishop Dennis Sullivan of the Diocese of Camden calledChecchio "a man of many talents."

“Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has chosen one of the finest priests I know to serve as the new Bishop of Metuchen. His appointment is truly a blessing for the good people in that community of faith and for the priests of the diocese,” Sullivan said.“His love of God, the priesthood, and of the people he serves will sustain him as chief shepherd for the people of the Diocese of Metuchen. On behalf of the priests, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese of Camden, I express my heartfelt congratulations to Bishop-Elect Checchio as he accepts this new responsibility of service to the Church.”

Checchio said that while he hasn't decided on his motto yet, he has been thinking about the passage"be reconciled to God" and that we should become "ambassadors" of reconciliation to God in the world.

The Rev. Edmund Luciano, the director of development and youth ministries at the diocese, feels that Checchio will be a spark for youth and vocation.

"Bishop Bootkoski is a very paternal figure to the diocese. We will miss him terribly," Luciano said. "But that sorrow is tempered with great joy and confidence. Here is a man who knows so very well the universal church and the local church. I am personally edified that he has already made mention and asked aboutthe youth in the diocese."

A gifted man, shepherd

The Most Rev.David M. O’Connell,Bishop of Trenton, praised the choice in a statement released Tuesday.

"Bishop Checchio is extremely well prepared to serve as Diocesan Bishop in Metuchen," O'Connell said. "He has extraordinary gifts, a wonderful personality, a great sense of humor and a shepherd’s heart. I join my brother bishops of New Jersey in welcoming Bishop Checchio home where he will serve the local Church of Metuchen with the same love and enthusiasm that have always characterized his life and work as a priest."

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Most recently, Checchioserved as rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, after serving as vice-rector there for two and a half years.Under his leadership at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, 490 seminarians became priests and Checchio oversaw the largest class sizes since the late1960s, with about 250 men enrolled each year for the past five consecutive years.

In his opening remarks, Bootkoski said hewas both "relieved and happy because of the man who is going to take my place." Bootkoski referencedChecchio's experience at the seminary to be in accord with Pope Francis' urging of Catholic bishops and priests to "go out among their flocks and know the people they serve like 'shepherds living with the smell of their sheep.'"

"As a priest of nearly 50 years, it is very heartening to see this new generation of priests taking our Holy Father's message to heart and it leads me to believe we are going to be in very good hands with our new shepherd, Bishop-elect Checchio, leading the way," saidBootkoski, the leader of the Diocese of Metuchen since2002.

Bootkoski admitted a personal bias.

"Plus, he's a Jersey guy like me," he said with a smile, adding to the happy feeling that permeated the room.

READ:Bishop Bootkoski visits St. James School in Woodbridge

The Diocese of Metuchen was formed in 1981, split off from the Diocese of Trenton. Today, the four-county diocese has approximately 640,000 Roman Catholics within its boundaries, representing 90 parishes. There are also 15 Eastern Church parishes within the diocese under the jurisdiction of their own bishops. Within the Diocese boundaries are 26 Catholic schools, two Catholic cemeteries, Catholic Charities-Diocese of Metuchen, the diocesan-sponsored St. Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick and the Catholic Center at Rutgers University.

Bootkoski, born in Newark in 1940, grew up in North Arlington and graduated from Catholic schools. After graduating fromof Seton Hall University, Bootkoski entered Immaculate Conception Seminary, and was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Newark in 1966.

Like Pope Francis, he believes in the importance of family and the family unit, "the core of our society," Bootkoski said in anexclusive interview with MyCentralJersey.com last fall.

Knowing that the diocese is young, Checchio called himself the "baby bishop" to go along with it. He further thanked Bootkoski for his forthcoming advice and support as well as guidance and leadership of the diocese for 14 years. Checchio ended his first event of the daywith a heartfeltprayer of gratitude,asking for guidance to "strengthen us and embolden us and set us on fire with greater love for you."

"Make us wise to give us the strength to do your work," he said before asking for blessings for the community and the faithful.

The remainder of his first day as Bishop-elect was a luncheon with the Senior Staff of the diocese, and visits to Saint MatthiasSchool in Somerset, Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick and to the Catholic Charities-run Ozanam Family Shelter in Edison before evening prayer with clergy at the Cathedral of Saint Francis in Metuchen.

Staff Writer Cheryl Makin: 732-565-7256;cmakin@mycentraljersey.com